Todd Coolman (born July 14, 1954) is a jazz bassist and a retired tenured Professor of Music at the Jazz Studies Program in the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College in Westchester County, New York. He is also the former Artistic Director of the Skidmore Jazz Institute.
Since moving to New York in 1978, he has performed with Horace Silver, Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman, Slide Hampton, Stan Getz, Tommy Flanagan, and countless others. He is probably best known for his 26-year association with the James Moody Quartet. Coolman has recorded with numerous jazz musicians in many contexts and has also released four recordings under his own leadership; "Tomorrows" (1990), “Lexicon” (1995), "Perfect Strangers" (2008) and "Collectables" (2016). In 1999, Coolman won the Grammy Award for Best Album Notes for Miles Davis Quintet 1965-1968 and in 2011 he performed on the IPO release entitled, "4B" with the James Moody Quartet that won the Grammy Award that year for, "Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group."
He has written two method books related to jazz bass playing; "The Bass Tradition" and "The Bottom Line."
In 1997, Coolman received a Ph.D. in Music and the Performing Arts from New York University.
He lives in Denville, New Jersey and is originally from Gary, Indiana.